This guy here, Ben, he’s a top bloke. He brings quality food and coffee to the lesser travelled shopping strip that divides Kew and Balwyn. Named after no one in particular, Ben provides his own charm and persona.
The interior takes the ever popular combination of black furnishings and lightly stained timber and adds fun coffee-themed cartoon murals. Hanging basket plants, table succulents and random orange chairs add splashes of colour to the mix.
Seating is divided into three sections; a handful of small tables in the front cafe and kitchen area, more small tables in a dining room space that overlooks the outside courtyard below, and the aforementioned courtyard that has a scattering of small tables and some large communal tables.
A little extravagant is certainly one way to describe the food menu; there’s a granola bowl, coconut chia pudding, cherry ricotta hot cakes, baked bean pot, pulled pork burger, rueben sandwich, salmon croquettes, haloumi salad; a bit of everything. Highlights are the buttermilk fried chicken burger with sriracha mayo and cornflake crumbing that gives a distinct crunch and the lamb ribs with mushy pea purée, parsnip chips, and roasted turnip. The tender and juicy meat just falls off the bone and the pea, parsnip and turnip combination provides some welcomed lesser encountered flavours.
Coffee is by Code Black with a selection of blends and single origins available as espresso and filter. There’s a range of teas, juices and smoothies also available.
A local favourite, Ben shows that it’s not just the inner suburbs that get all the fun and that sometimes it’s worth venturing out into the mostly residential areas.
Ben Coffee and Kitchen
1058 Burke Road, Balwyn
03 9817 7186
https://www.facebook.com/Bencoffeeandkitchen/